Consensus Gentium on tour: Lessons for touring immersive work beyond arts venues

This report details the findings and offers a toolkit based on the 2024 tour of Consensus Gentium, an interactive film by artist Karen Palmer, to 11 shopping centres across England. Consensus Gentium, which uses facial detection and AI to explore themes of state surveillance, was presented on mobile phones via a specially designed pop-up installation. The tour, supported by Arts Council England and delivered by Crossover Labs, aimed to demonstrate how exhibiting immersive work outside of arts spaces might attract younger and more diverse audiences, specifically those aged 14 to 24 from global majority and working-class backgrounds who are less likely to engage with conventional arts venues. The Consensus Gentium tour demonstrates a viable model for extending the reach of immersive art to new and diverse audiences by situating experiences in more accessible environments. This toolkit underscores the need for thoughtful adaptation of both the artistic experience and the exhibition model to suit these unconventional settings and the specific demographics they attract.